Dr Hays on Treating Patients With HER2+ CRC

John L. Hays, MD, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, member, Translational Therapeutics Program, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center–James, discusses advances in treating patients with HER2-positive colorectal cancer (CRC).

In an OncLive® State of the Science Summit™, Hays discussed targeted therapies in CRC. In the past, treatments such as FOLFOX, FOLFOXIRI, bevacizumab (Avastin), as well as EGFR inhibitors were commonly used, Hays begins. These regimens represented standard treatment approaches for about 10 years in this patient population. However, in recent years, there has been an increased understanding of the molecular aspects of CRC and how treatment can be targeted to certain gene alterations such as HER2 to improve outcomes in populations that have historically had poor prognosis, Hays expands.

Despite these advances, such alterations are found in the minority of patients with CRC, Hays continues. HER2 for example is overexpressed in only about 5% of patients with CRC, Hays adds. These patients can respond well to various types of inhibition of the HER2 gene or protein. In addition, these advancements are broadening the treatment landscape beyond chemotherapy regimens like FOLFOX and FOLFIRI to include targeted therapies such as trastuzumab (Herceptin) and fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki (Enhertu), Hays notes.

Moving forward, investigators are focused on developing more effective targeted therapies, so patients with actionable alterations can receive chemotherapy-free approaches that lead to further improved outcomes, Hays concludes.